DARWIN DAYS

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Tuesday -- February 10 -- 4:00pm -- Science Building, Room 147

The History, Evolution, and Future of Alpine Plants in the Rocky Mountain Floristic Region

To kick off this year's Darwin Days celebration, please join us for a talk by Dr. Eric DeChaine, Curator of the Pacific Northwest Herbarium at Western Washington University.The Rocky Mountain Floristic Region, spanning the Rocky, Coast, Cascade, and Sierra Nevada Mountains from New Mexico to Alaska, is one of the most botanically diverse regions in North America. Alpine plants inhabit a fragmented archipelago of sky islands within this landscape. Some species are widespread, while others are narrowly endemic. The diversity and distribution of these high elevation taxa have been and will continue to be strongly influenced by the climatic variability of the Quaternary.

Wednesday -- February 11 -- 4:30pm --Lobby of Science Building

Let's Celebrate: 156 Years Since The Publication of Darwin's On the Origin of Species

Come party, Darwin style! Join us for this fun Darwin Days event! We'll have performers from the popular local dance troupe, TusuyPeru, music and yummy birthday cake, all in honor of Charles Darwin.See you there!

Thursday -- February 12 -- 5:30pm -- Lobby of Dean Hall

Why the Rush? Evolutionary Perspectives on Addiction

To celebrate Charles Darwin's 206th birthday, the Museum will explore evolutionary perspectives on addiction, including the emergence of opiate and dopamine pathways. Why wasn't addiction, which seems so destructive, "bred out" of human populations long ago? Is a propensity to addiction a by-product of neurobiological processes that offer significant adaptive advantages to our species? Featuring CWU faculty members, Drs. Kara Gabriel (Psychology), Lucinda Carnell (Biological Sciences), and Joe Lorenz (Anthropology and Museum Studies), the round-table will be moderated by Dr. David Darda (Biological Sciences), followed by a question and answer period for the audience.